Ken Coleman facts for kids

Ken Coleman was a famous American sportscaster. He worked on radio and TV for over 40 years, from 1947 to 1989. He was born on April 22, 1925, and passed away on August 21, 2003. Many people knew his voice from calling exciting baseball and football games.

Ken Coleman's Early Life and Dreams

Ken Coleman was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1925. His family later moved to Quincy, Massachusetts, where he grew up. He went to North Quincy High School and graduated in 1943.

Playing Baseball and Serving His Country

Ken was a pitcher on his high school baseball team. After high school, he even played in a semi-pro league. But his biggest dream was to become a sports broadcaster. He loved listening to games on the radio when he was a boy. After high school, Ken served as a sergeant in the United States Army during World War II.

Starting His Broadcasting Journey

After the war, Ken took classes at Curry College. In 1947, he got his first broadcasting job in Rutland (city), Vermont. He called baseball games for the Rutland Royals. He also worked as a newscaster and a DJ at the station. Later, he worked as a sports reporter in Quincy and Worcester, Massachusetts. During this time, he also broadcast Boston University football games.

Ken Coleman's Broadcasting Career

Ken Coleman became a well-known voice in sports. He worked for many famous teams.

Calling Games for Cleveland Teams

In 1952, Ken got a big chance to broadcast for the NFL Cleveland Browns. He called games for them until 1965. He even called every touchdown scored by the legendary player Jim Brown. Ken also started his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians. He called their games on TV for ten seasons, from 1954 to 1963. In his first year, the Indians won an amazing 111 games.

Broadcasting College and NFL Football

Besides pro teams, Ken also called college football games. He worked for teams like Ohio State and Harvard. He was the announcer for the famous 1968 Harvard-Yale football game. In that game, Harvard made an amazing comeback to tie Yale 29–29 in the final seconds. Ken also called NFL games for NBC in the early 1970s. Later, he called college basketball games for teams like Connecticut.

Becoming the Voice of the Boston Red Sox

In 1966, Ken Coleman became the main play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox. He took over from Curt Gowdy. Ken joined a team that included Ned Martin and Mel Parnell. He called the exciting 1967 World Series, where the Red Sox played the St. Louis Cardinals.

Changes in Red Sox Broadcasting

Ken was the "Voice of the Red Sox" on radio and TV until 1971. In 1972, the Red Sox changed their TV station. Ken then worked only on television with Johnny Pesky until 1974. In 1975, the Red Sox changed their TV station again and brought in new announcers.

Calling Games for the Cincinnati Reds

After leaving the Red Sox, Ken moved to Ohio. From 1975 to 1978, he called games for the Cincinnati Reds on their TV network. He was there for the "Big Red Machine" teams that won the World Series in 1975 and 1976.

Returning to the Boston Red Sox

In 1979, Ken Coleman came back to Boston. He spent 11 more years as the top radio voice for the Red Sox. He called the 1986 World Series, where the Red Sox played the New York Mets. He also called two ALCS games for the Red Sox in 1986 and 1988. Ken stayed with the Red Sox until he retired in 1989.

Other Contributions to Sports

Besides broadcasting, Ken wrote books about sportscasting. He also helped start the Red Sox Booster Club and the BoSox Club. He was very involved with the Jimmy Fund, which raises money for cancer research.

Ken Coleman's Personal Life

Ken Coleman enjoyed swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. He would swim often, even into the late fall and early spring.

Family and Legacy

Ken was the father of Casey Coleman, who also became a sports and newscaster in Cleveland. Sadly, Casey passed away in 2006.

Hall of Fame and Passing

Ken Coleman was honored for his great career. He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame on May 18, 2000, when he was 75 years old. He passed away three years later, in 2003, at the age of 78. He died in Plymouth, Massachusetts, due to complications from bacterial meningitis.